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Top hairstylists, makeup artists, and beauty gurus answer your questions.

Q: I've recently hit a plateau at the gym. Is there anything I can do to break through it?

Many people get into a workout routine, and regardless how much time they spend at the gym, they simply can't lose those last five or ten pounds. Several things may be happening to cause this sudden pause in your result pattern:

Problem: You're doing the same exercises day in and day out. For the past three months, three days a week, you’ve been getting on the treadmill and jogging at a steady pace for 35 minutes. You then hit the mat, perform 100 crunches, and call it a day.
Solution: Vary your workouts to force your body to work harder. For example, day one: 15-minute jog on the treadmill, 10 minutes nonstop jump rope, 5 minutes on the stair-climber, 5 minutes stretch. Day two: 10 minutes nonstop jump rope, 10 minutes on the upright bike, 10 minutes on the elliptical, 10 minutes jogging on the treadmill, 5 minutes stretch. Day three: 5 minutes jumping jacks, 5 minutes crunches, 15 minutes run/jog on treadmill, 15 minutes elliptical, 5 minutes stretch. (And no talking to the cute boys in between!)

Problem: You're not exercising hard enough.
You're on the recumbent bike, flipping through the pages of US Weekly, barely breaking a sweat. Sound familiar? If you're not sweating or breathing somewhat heavily, you might as well be sitting on your couch with your hand in a bag of popcorn (lowfat, let's hope).
Solution: Work harder so that you sweat and feel a burn in your muscles, and if you're not already lifting weights, start immediately. Each pound of muscle burns approximately 21 extra calories. This means the more muscle you put on, the more calories you'll burn at rest. If you’re unsure of how to use some of the complicated-looking machines at your gym, ask a trainer for help. That's what she's there for.

Problem: You’re not watching what you put in your mouth.
I had a client once who came in for one-hour sessions three times a week. Each time she left the studio, she was dripping with sweat and every muscle in her body ached. However, after three months of training, she hadn’t lost an inch. I asked her to fill me in on exactly what she was eating, and I immediately found the culprit: two large meals a day consisting of red meat, sugary cereal, and heavy desserts. Exercising vigorously and then not eating properly is like washing your hair before you enter a smoky bar—it’s a waste of time.
Solution: Eating small meals throughout the day will stabilize your blood-sugar level and prevent your body from storing fat, not to mention keep headaches at bay. Keep in mind that the average person will store their food as fat if they eat more than 500 calories per sitting (500 calories is equivalent to three ounces of BBQ spareribs and half glass of cola). If those aren’t good enough reasons, think about how hungry you are when you go more than six hours without eating. At that point, you're likely to hit the local pizzeria and chow down a whole Sicilian pie. Explain that to your personal trainer when she asks you why the scale isn’t budging. Beyond that, think about what you're eating. Every time you sit down for a meal, half of your plate should be covered with vegetables, a quarter with lean protein such as chicken breast or light turkey meat, and the other quarter with carbohydrates such as whole-wheat bread or brown rice. If you like to lift heavy weights and are attempting to “bulk up,” then the protein quotient can be raised slightly.

A lifelong fitness fanatic, Rena Kotik is certified personal trainer and nutrition coach at the VIP Fitness Studio in Lyndhurst, New Jersey. Her areas of expertise include BOSU balance training and cycling, and she believes that workout success is underscored by discipline and motivation.

Photo credit: Robert Deal

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